Back On My Feet
by KitKathryn
Summary: Violet swore never to touch another weapon since she inadvertently killed her sister Layla in the Titan War. But the when the camp goes under siege, can they make do without their best fighter? I decided to make a story about CHB with made up characters-I wanted to write about a daughter of Iris:)) My first Fanfic, please R&R !Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Yo! :))) I finally made a fanfic of my own after reading lots of others. Tell me what you think! SHOW ME NO MERCY! Really I don't care if you hate it I just want to know how my writing is.**

**Violet**

_I felt my ankle shatter under the weight of my body. I made a note to myself not to try and land on my feet next time I jumped off a second floor balcony._

_Why was I jumping, you ask?_

_Because my safe refuge was just blown up. My younger sister Layla was putting up a good fight against a revolting creature a good fifty yards away. Being the overprotective sibling I am, I limped in her direction. Before I could reach her, however, a large harpie was hovering over me, knocking me down onto my not-yet-injured knees and blocking my path. I swung out my sword and started hacking everything in sight. Feathers fell everywhere; the monsters wails would've been heard across the city if it weren't drowned by the battle cries of the oncoming Titan Army. Still kneeling, I cut the harpie into little bite sized pieces. I laughed, my eyes a blazing red. I was so filled with rage and power, my mind didn't even register the birds change in tone. If I had, I would've realized the harpie had disintegrated into ash seconds ago, and the thing surrounded by a tornado of giant evil bird pieces was Layla. But I didn't realize._

_I kept slashing mercilessly._

I sat up so fast I smacked my head against the ceiling of my attic bedroom.

I was covered in a disgusting combination of sweat, tears, and- what was that? Probably snot. Shaking, I stumbled out of my bed and crawled down a ladder to the regular cabin where everyone else slept. The trapdoor squealed in protest when I opened it, threatening to wake my only two cabin mates, Isaac and Willis. I stared at the empty bunk where Layla used to sleep. The tears threatened to come; I needed to escape. I silently tiptoed across the room and out the door.

The burst of cool night air hit me like a sheild to the head, but was a very welcome feeling. My bare feet crunched across the frosty grass as I took my usual path down to the lake. When I reached the calm waters, I stood as still as a statue, staring at the full moon's perfect reflection in the lake It shone like a light, brightening the dark, empty sky around it. A few purple clouds drifted lazily across its milky surface. The water was calm and surreal, like a strip of fabric untouched by the wind. I waded in, just so the icy water reached the tops of my feet. Frozen winter wind howled in my ears. It sounded as if they were whispering to me.

_you killed her..._

_it's all your fault, you know it..._

_it should've been you, not her..._

I couldn't take it anymore. All of the camper's stares, the sympathetic looks. The pity. I would need about 5 more pairs of hands to count how many people this month alone have told me their sorry, and it must be horrible. As if they understood what it felt like. To have destroyed a human life, or my sister, no less. No matter how many people said it wasn't my fault, I would never be able to forgive myself for killing Layla. My sister. Dead. Reality shook upon me like the sky bearing down on Atlas's shoulders. My face crumpled and the tears I had worked so hard to keep inside me burst out at once. I crumbled to the ground, shaking and sobbing my heart out.

And thats where Ryan found me asleep at sunrise.

**Ryan**

I was up early to test out my new gift for her that I had designed when I caught a glimpse of slate-black hair waving dreamily in the shallow water of the lake. I hobbled over and let out a frightened gasp. Violet laid in the freezing water(when I say freezing I mean FREEZING. How in the heck wasn't it frozen over yet?) She was as pale as a sheet; her lips had bypassed blue and skipped straight to purple. I gingerly picked up her slender body. Jeez, she was colder than the lake water! I raced her to the infirmary, praying to the gods someone was there already. Luckily, a tiny little Apollo girl- Missy? Milly? No, it was Mia- was there meticulously organizing the medicine cabinet(by color, strength, and prescription. Wow.) She took one look at Violet and turned almost as pale as her.

"Did she.." The girl couldn't find the words to continue.

"I hope not." I laid Violet down softly on a nearby cot as Mia ran over with an armful of blankets and a clinking tray of antidotes teetering precariously on top. I took the tray off of the stack and put them on a side table. They all looked dangerous. I only recognized one substance, the nectar. The other bowls were filled with a frightening assortment of liquids. One bowl was full of a blue smoking liquid; another was a burnt shade of black. Would they help her or kill her?

I turned around to see that Mia had swaddled Violet in about a billion blankets, but she was still as pale as a ghost.

"Out of my way." Mia snapped. "Oh, Gods, I've never done this before!" Mia was new. Still, she carried herself in a manner that made you think she had been at camp her whole life, already bypassing some of the better healers. She picked up the smoking bowl from the tray and started spooning it into Violet's unresponsive mouth. I stared at her lifeless body, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. I waited. And waited. But the more I did, the worse I felt. Mia looked at my pained expression.

"She has an extreme case of hypothermia. It'll take her a while to heat up. You should go and eat something," I stood

motionless. She sighed. "Go! Eat! Now!" I resigned and sadly left for the dining pavillion.

**So... Whatd'ya think? *Puppy Dog Eyes* I have a few ideas on how the stories gonna go but IDK how often I'll update, so sorry in advance. Jeez, I feel like I'm talking to no one right now. Please R&R!:D**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Virtualviola03: Thanks so much for the awesome advice:)) I'm glad to hear you enjoyed my story! Also sorry I'm not sure how to make it a link thing**

**Violet**

My eyes fluttered open to reveal the ceiling of the infirmary. The windows were wide open, spilling out the sunlight. It must've been around noon. I tried to sit up but found myself pinned to the bed by a mountain of blankets. Still, I was shivering. A short little girl about 11 years old was spooning nectar into my mouth. She had a kind face and short curly auburn hair. I didn't recognize her, but then again, I didn't recognize nearly anyone. When she saw I was awake, she smiled and put the bowl on a counter next to me.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. I opened my dry mouth.

"Cold" Her smile got wider.

"I imagine so. You gave us quite a scare! Everyone's been so worried, Ryan, Chiron, Mr. D isn't but you know how he is, he'll see a student get killed and not be worried..." She continued to ramble on nervously. I fell asleep a few minutes later listening to the monotonous droll of her voice.

When I woke again, I was alone. Judging by the sunlight, it was only an hour or two later. Slowly, I sat up, tipping over the mountain of blankets that I no longer needed and padded my bare feet to the door. I was met with a blast of icy wind smacking my cheeks. Thats when I looked down and realized I was still in my pajamas. Great. Just as I was about to face the humiliation of walking across camp in my bright blue skiing penguin pajama shorts, a voice spoke from behind me.

" Someone brought you a change of clothes," I nearly jumped out of my skin.

"Don't scare me like that!" I scolded. I turned around to see the girl who had nursed me back to health. My heart softened.

"Sorry. And thank you, for you know." I mumbled to the floor. She flashed a kind smile and left me alone to change. I turned to look at my saving grace. someone had brought me skinny jeans, fat, fuzzy socks, one of my fancy bleached-white-and-dyed-blue Camp Half Blood sweaters and my favorite fuzzy jacket of all time. I slipped them on. They smelt like home. Almost on cue, the small girl came out and looked at me.

"You really shouldn't be going just yet," I just shrugged.

"At least stay in your cabin today?" I nodded and made my way for the door.

"Violet." Her voice stopped me. "Were you trying to, you know," I scowled, shook my head and raced for the door before the tears could come.

I only just made it.

I ran to my cabin with tears streaming down my face. The rumors would start again, about the poor little Violet who tried to kill herself. I didn't want to see anyone right now. Hopefully Isaac and Willis were at archery at something. They must've been, because when I made it to the cabin it was deserted. I sighed. We were always the messiest cabin. Bunks weren't made, paintings lay scattered everywhere, most of the room was covered in paint. But I loved it. It was my home. I made my way to the artists easel and started choosing the darkest paints I could. Black, dark blue, dark purple. I painted what I felt, and that was how I'd been feeling for the past four months. The paintbrush seemed to move my hand along with it, guiding me along the canvas. Eventually, I stepped back to look at my work. It was horrible. What a tribute. No, this one would have to go with the others. I didn't even bother letting it dry, just threw it into the trapdoor that all of the reject paintings go. I was getting ready to try again when a knock on the door interrupted me. I crossed the room, expertly jumping all of the canvases and other obstacles between me and the door. When I opened it, Annabeth and Rachel were bickering about design plans for Olympus. When they saw my face they immediately cheered up.

"Hey Vi!" Rachel gave me a quick hug and flopped onto the only made bed. Annabeth gave me a longer hug, and looked me straight in the eye. Her steely gray eyes looked as if they could discover every secret I have.

"How are you," Her voice made me think she already knew.

"I'm surviving." I wasn't lying. I couldn't lie to these girls. After Layla died, they became my trained "psychiatrists," not to mention my best friends in the whole wide world. They were the only people I could turn to now. The only people who didn't see me as the girl who killed her sister.

It was obvious Annabeth wasn't pleased with my answer, but she let it go, for the moment, and sat down next to Rachel. They both stared at me expectantly.

"Fine." I moaned. I plopped down on my awesome hanging bean bag chair and told them the story of the latest nightmare, my lake excursion, and Ryan picking me up(its always him) and taking me to the infirmary. They stared at me in silence. Finally, Rachel spoke up.

"You know, we really should be getting paid for this. You are really messed up." Annabeth gasped, but I snorted with laughter.

"Rachel, don't say that!" Annabeth scolded.

"Oh come on, you wish we were getting paid too!" Rachel protested. I sat back, smiling, and watched my friends bicker. This is why they were such good friends. They made me forget the throbbing in my heart. At least, for a little while.

After their small argument subsided, they both turned to me. Rachel asked the question I'd been dreading.

"So at the lake, were you trying to.." She couldn't finish. Her words failed her, but they hung in the air like she'd said them.

_Were you trying to kill yourself?_

I couldn't speak, so Rachel had to live with a shake of the head. Both girls let out sighs of relief.

"See Annabeth, I told you. Violet Calliana doesn't take the easy way out!" Rachel shouted.

"I never said she would!" Annabeth protested. "You were more worried than me!" The pair began to squabble once again.

"Guys," I murmured. They couldn't hear me. "Guys." A little bit louder. Finally, I couldn't take it, so I screamed,

"GUYS! Shut up!" They immediately stopped talking and looked at me.

"What?" Annabeth asked.

"Did you hear that?" Rachel looked confused. Then we heard it. A tiny, metallic _clink! clink! _It sounded like a million tiny chains clicking together, coupled of the whirring of a wind up toy. I followed the noise to the pocket of my fluffy blue and white checked jacket that was thrown onto the floor earlier. Gingerly, I reached my hand into the pocket and pulled out a small contraption. The width and height of a silver dollar, it was a buzzing, whirring, metallic dragon figurine. It's tiny joints clicked and jingled when they moved, but it was ridiculously lifelike. The emerald green toy stretched it's wings and fluttered about an inch in the air before landing lightly in the palm of my hand. It snorted, and tiny puffs of smoke poofed out of its flat nostrils. The little dragon was an exact replica of Peleus, the guardian of the Golden Fleece. Just like Peleus, it flopped down in my hand and began to snore. I looked at my friends.

"Who gave this to me?" I asked. They both shrugged.

"Probably whoever brought you your clothes." Annabeth suggested.

"Wait, it wasn't one of you?" The girls shook their heads.

"Well, who was it then?"

**Dun dun dun... I bet you guys can guess who brought her the clothes. R&R:D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ryan**

The rest of the day after I left the infirmary was a blur.

The hours whipped past in a frenzy of color. The next moment that I can remember clearly was standing right in front of the Iris Cabin door. I took a step forward, but hesitated. Should I go in? I could hear Two girls arguing, probably Annabeth and Rachel. Did I really want to talk to her when she had friends with her? Just as I was about to admit defeat, I remembered my contraption.

It was a gift I had been working really hard on; I began building it almost a month ago. Finally, two nights earlier, I finished. When I went to drop off the clothes for Violet, I had left it in her pocket. Grinning, I pulled the remote control from my coat and pushed the big red button in the top left corner. I could only pray that it worked. Pressing my ear against the door, I heard Violet scream at the two girls to shut up. Then I heard it too. The faint metallic clinking that meant my miniature Peleus dragon toy was working. Then I remembered where I was: Eavesdropping on the Iris cabin in broad daylight. Before any suspicious campers could get the wrong impression, I tiptoed off the rainbow-colored paneling that was the cabins porch and ran straight towards the forges.

At the forge, I fiddled with scraps of metal aimlessly. The screams of iron and celestial bronze being manipulated was not enough to drown out my thoughts. I subconsciously made a whirring model helicopter, then dismantled it just as easily. The work left my mind room to wander.

Violet and me had been best friends since the day we both got to camp and were both claimed right away, three years ago. I had-and still did- love her with every fiber in my being, but after a while, she shut me out. I was just a kid in the background to her. Even before the Layla incident, all of my little compliments and gifts would go unnoticed. I just wanted her to realize that I was there. I could help her. I wanted to comfort her, hold her in my arms as she cries, and tell her I love her. But I was invisible. She wouldn't even consider me in the case of "who left the golden dragon." I was irrelevant.

I snapped out of my reverie to realize someone had been calling my name out loud for a good three minutes. I turned around to see Jake Mason. His eyes were livid. They seemed to bore through me. His arms were crossed around his chest, and his shoulders were rigid. Jake's forehead was crumpled together; he looked downright frightening.

"Ryan, I've been looking for you for forever now!" He hollered. "We need someone who can forge a lot of swords in a little amount of time. You up for the job?"

"Why do you need a lot of swords?"

"Rachel stopped by yesterday and said she had a feeling we'd need them." I didn't need anymore information. When Rachel had a feeling, everyone paid attention. I trudged over to where a handful of other Hephaestus kids were rapidly making swords. It looked like a traffic line, with one girl hacking off bits of celestial bronze from a giant slab, another guy heating it, and one more bashing it into shape with a large mallet. The guys were impatiently waiting on the girl, who was panicking, making her work get sloppier and sloppier. I started helping her out by slicing pieces just the right size for a sword.

After working for a few hours, I bid my farewells and raced up to the dining pavilion for some grub. There was a lot going on. Clarisse was flinging her peas at a poor kid from the Hermes cabin. His friends were glaring at Clarisse and whispering mischievously. Annabeth and Percy had returned early and were making goo-goo eyes at each other from their respected tables. The Aphrodite table was screeching "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" To a beet-faced Grover and Juniper. I noticed lots of things, but only one thing really mattered to me.

Violet wasn't there.

**Violet**

I couldn't take all of the sympathetic faces at dinner, so I did what any natural person would do. I ignored my growling stomach and went to the farthest place away from the pavilion. The light of the bonfire was as feeble as a candle from where I sat at the lake.

I don't know why, but the lake is always my go-to spot. I just love the color of it. All of the beautiful flowers popping out. All of the little dots of red, orange, blue, pink, white and yellow. They just stood out so perfectly against the lush green foliage that surrounded the lake. The niads gave me a friendly wave, then went back to their weaving. They were used to me now. I gazed through the clear water at their aquatic faces. What would it be like to have no worries except who to throw into the lake? I would never know.

For a minute I could imagine what life would be like right now if the Layla Incident, as it was now being called, had never occurred. I would be sitting at the Iris table with my real family, Listening to Layla and Isaac comment on the color coordination of their meals, or argue on the newest way of redecorating the cabin. Isaac would be laughing and chatting instead of being silent. Willis would be scarfing down anything in sight instead of starving himself. And I would be smiling, chatting animatedly about my newest crazy scheme. My hair would be its natural golden brown instead of my now appropriate jet black. And Layla's name would be on the list of exceptional campers instead of on the monument to Demigods killed in the second Titan war.

The thought of a life that happy made me want to throw myself into the lake. But I couldn't. I had to be strong. I stood up to leave and ran into somebody. I was thrown to the ground.

"Sorry! Oh my gosh, so sorry!" I panicked. The guy just chuckled. I looked up and saw Ryan smiling down at me. I smiled back halfheartedly. He gave me his calloused hand and easily pulled me up with one quick tug. I mumbled a thanks to the ground.

I had always loved Ryan like a brother. But he wanted more. Ever since Annabeth had pointed out that tiny detail, I had made it my mission to avoid him. I just couldn't love him that way, but would never break his heart by telling him that. Since the Layla Incident, I had craved Ryan's friendship more than ever. But I knew it would lead him on, and couldn't hurt him so badly. I looked into his warm brown eyes and wanted to melt into his arms. I wanted to tell him everything, how much it hurt. I wanted him to tell me it was okay, that it wasn't my fault. It took every fiber in my being not to run into his arms right now.

"What are you doing out here, skipping your meal?" He asked.

"Thats funny, I was about to ask you the same thing." I said distantly. Ryan blushed and looked at the ground.

"I was looking for you." He whispered. I chose to ignore that comment.

"I should go to my cabin." I head up the small dirt path leading to the beach.

"I never did get a thank you for taking you to the infirmary this morning!" He hollered back. I paused in my tracks for a second, then started running. Anything to get away. When I was sure he was out of earshot, I whispered

"Thank you," to the wind. It carried throughout the trees, past everything in the camp. But it never reached it's intended target. Which was good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ryan**

It took me about three minutes of standing in the bitter cold to decide to run after her.

I raced through through the bushes. Thorns snagged on me and pulled me backwards. Blood ran from all of the scratches accumulating on me. I ran so fast the moon was nothing but a white blur in the pitch black sky. Finally, I saw her slim shadow walking up the steps of her cabin. I mustered the last of my stamina to sprint and grab her tan wrist. She flung around, her eyes wide with fear. When she saw who I was, she relaxed.

I looked into her eyes. They smoldered me, as if they were seeing right into my future. Today, Violet's eyes were a sad, dull blue color, like the sky after a storm. It's been a while since I saw her eyes colored brightly, not in grey or blue or black-Iris kids' eyes could change color according to their mood. I watched as they started to turn to a warm rusty brown, meaning she was glad to see me.

"What's up, Ryan?" Shoot. I want to see you didn't seem like a good reason for two people who aren't friends any more. I panicked and blurted the first thing that came to my mind.

"I want you to come to training tomorrow," Uh oh. I did it. I just shut her down. Already, Violet's eyes were getting darker and darker, on their way to jet black.

"You know I can't," She turned up the steps to her cabin, but I held her back.

"It's been four months. Layla"-a pained expression crossed Violet's face when I said her late sister's name-"would want you to be happy, and live your life. You are the best fighter here, Vi!"

"I was the best fighter." She snapped. "Now I'm just a murderer." She turned away from me, but didn't bother leaving, so I knew she was trying to hold back tears. A strong urge to comfort her washed down on me.

So that's what I did.

I pulled her closer to me and enveloped my arms around her. She was so warm, so soft. I felt like I could break her if I squeezed her fragile body too hard. After recovering from shock, she pulled away. Her face was a mixture of emotion, but I could understand it all. She was upset, now more than ever. She wasn't angry that I hugged her, just surprised. And she missed something about the old days; she was reminiscing. Even though I could read her emotions, I couldn't read her thoughts. She turned around to try and leave again, but I was ready. I grabbed her by the arms and looked into her gray eyes.

"Just come. Don't fight."

"No! I can't!" She paced up and down the icy grass. "You don't know what it's like! The looks, the sympathetic smiles, the ridiculous idiots saying 'it must be so hard. My condolences!' As if they knew. As if they understood what it felt like to not only loose their sister and best friend on the planet, but to be the one responsible for her death!" Her voice cracked; she was going to cry soon. But she kept going, her voice feeble and weak now.

" She was my best friend." A tear dropped from her eye. " And I k-killed her." Her body racked in sobs. I took her shoulders again and looked her in the eye.

" I know I can't say I know how you feel, because I don't. But I can say that if you and her switched places, I know you would want her to be happy again." She stared at me for what seemed like hours. Finally, she sighed.

"Okay. I'll go to training." My heart lightened. I let go of her. Without warning, she pecked my cheek and pulled me into a quick hug. I barely heard her whisper,

"Thank you." When I had recovered from shock, she was gone.

**Violet**

I don't know why I made that promise, but I forced myself to keep it. So the next day I arrived at the arena and took a seat.

Something had come over me last night. I had been so lonely, I needed Ryan to comfort me. And even though I was in the place my nightmares took place in, I was-not exactly happy, but at peace with myself. A scream jolted me out of my seat. Rachel and Annabeth had found me. Rachel ran up to me and smothered me in a suffocating hug.

"EEEEEEEEKKKK!" she wailed again. "You're here! YAAAYYY!" Annabeth swatted her playfully, but her eyes were warm and joyful.

"Calm down Rachel. You're scaring children." She chided. I looked at my friends. Annabeth was decked out in armor and looked downright frightening until you saw her smile. Rachel was the complete opposite. Not a real fighter, she was in white jeans cartooned on with blue markers, and a lime green tee shirt with sequins all over. Only someone like Rachel could dress like that and still look amazing. I looked down at my clothes. I wasn't really planning to fight, so I just had on a pair of skinny jeans, furry combat boots, and an oversized dark purple sweater that I had painted a tiny elegant 'Camp Half Blood' logo on the top right corner. Yet somehow, without trying, I managed to stand out. It might've been because everyone else was in armor or camp tee shirts that were not the cool colors that I dyed mine, but a hideous shade of orange. Rachel and Annabeth chatted with me casually for a little bit, then Annabeth had to go get ready for her demonstration. She had been hired as the camps Director of Dueling, along with Percy. Within moments of her leaving, Percy ran into the center of the Arena and let out a shrill whistle to get everyone's attention. The crowd fell silent.

"Okay, guys. Listen up!" He hollered. " Today, Annabeth is going to review the techniques we've been working on for the last month, then we'll have some sparring." On cue, Annabeth ran up to meet Percy, dragging a training dummy along with her. She gave Percy a little kiss before he left the center. She ignored the screeches and 'awwwe's of the Aphrodite girls, and continued, while a beet red Percy watched from the side attentively.

I wasn't expecting it, but I absorbed the information like a dry sponge in a bathtub. There was so much I had missed out on. All the same, guilt started to well up inside of me. I was betraying Layla by even thinking of fighting again. The first half hour of class was a roller coaster of emotions. Guilt, excitement, sorrow, and the urge to fight filled up inside of me, threatening to explode. Finally, when Annabeth had finished explaining everything, Percy walked back up to her.

"Alright, sparring. Who wants to go first?" A flood of campers raised their hands. "Okay," Percy said. "How about Clarisse and Violet." The whole crowd broke into murmurs. I paled. Annabeth looked back and forth between me and Percy. She looked like she might clobber him for his suggestion. After I had recovered from shock, I whispered,

"O-okay." The crowd fell silent as they watched me make my way down to the Arena where Clarisse was looking anxious. Months before, she would've taken it as and excuse to clobber me, but now things were different. I didn't bother putting on armor, just grabbed a decently balanced sword and took position. It felt murderous in my hands(and no I don't know how something can _feel_murderous, but it did.) I looked at Clarisse, but gasped. Instead of the feisty head of the Ares cabin, I saw a little girl three years younger than me. Her hair was golden blonde with pale silver highlights. She smiled at me kindly, her sword at her side. Her big eyes were lilac, her favorite color. It was Layla. She smiled kindly, but her eyes rapidly changed to one of fear. Her pupils turned a murky, ugly gray, and she stepped away from me. An imaginary force swiped a sword through her, and she was on her knees, bleeding uncontrollably. I tried to step near her and help her, but my feet were frozen. I could just stand there and watch as I saw my sister die.

I dropped to my knees, shoulders shaking. My fingers wouldn't stop trembling. My sword clanged to the ground next to me. I heard a collective gasp, then Annabeth and Percy were at my sides, lifting me up. They pulled me out of the crowd's view, then Annabeth looked at me. Her eyes pierced into me and I knew I had better talk. I knew she understood how much pain that had put me through. I allowed one tear to fall from my murky brown eyes.

"It still hurts. A lot." I collapsed into her arms as the tears began to pour out of me.

**A/N Okay, done with chapter 4! Yay, that one was hard. I could see where I wanted it to go, but not how to get there. Did I do okay? I wouldn't know, because I only have two reviews! Please, pretty please with a cherry on top review? **

**Also, I know I've been updating pretty frequently, but I'm not sure how often I can from now on. Please keep in mind I dance 6 days a week, and try to be patient.**

**Love, **

**Kat**


	5. Chapter 5

**Violet**

I can't tell you how long I stood in the armor shed, sobbing into Annabeths arms, listening to Percy's constant apologies. His voice cracked every time he said my name, as if it physically hurt him to have put a friend through such torture. After what seemed like hours, I let go of Annabeth and looked at Percy.

"Stop it." I commanded. He instantly shut up.

"It's okay. I would have to do it sooner or later." He sighed in relief, and gave me a hug. I looked at Annabeth pointedly behind his back. She got the message.

"Percy, you should probably go out to the others and keep going with class." She suggested. Being the seaweed brain he was, Percy said,

"No, I want to stay and make Violet feel better." Annabeth sighed.

"Percy, go. Now." She gently pushed him out the door before he could protest. I sat down on a stack of hay. All of my tears had been drained out of me. I just wanted to run to my cabin, lock the doors, and never come out. I wanted to be with Layla, I wanted to have my best friend back. The girl who could be owned in capture the flag and still wear a smile. The girl who would always wake up to her alarm clock making rooster noises. The girl who could be found in the armory at one in the morning organizing gear in order of type of material and fabric because it relaxed her. I wanted my Layla back.

A soft thud on my right side told me Annabeth had sat down. I couldn't look into her eyes, so I stared into my lap.

"You still are in shock." It wasn't a question, more of a statement. I didn't look up. She continued. " What can we do for you to get over her?" My head shot up, my eyes boiling a firey orange.

"Get over her? You expect me to just be able to _get over her?_" I stood up and stared down at Annabeth. She looked at me with shock and fear in her eyes. I continued, trembling now.

"She was my best friend. My sister! It was a miracle that we could both be Demigods and have the same father, and she was my miracle! I was supposed to be the good big sister, who protected her! I was supposed to stop the bad guys, not be one! I will never be able to get over her. And the fact that you think I could," I couldn't even continue. Annabeth stood up and looked me in the eyes.

"You have to. If you were Layla, would you want her to give up?" Her eyes pierced mine; I couldn't look away. I shook my head. Annabeth smiled.

"So what will make you feel better?" She asked. I said the first thing that came to my mind.

" Strawberry milkshake." Annabeth threw her head back and laughed. Her golden ringlets of hair bounced back and forth, and her steely eyes were light and happy again.

"Okay." She conceded. "It's almost dinner time anyways."

_LINE BREAK_

The milkshake helped a lot.

As I sipped, I felt the need to tell Annabeth my plan. I felt like if anyone would understand, she would. For goodness sakes, she had already risked getting latrine duties for three weeks by sitting by me today! I approached the subject with caution.

"Ummm, Annie?" Her eyes flashed up from her food.

"Don't call me Annie." She griped.

"Sorry." Her eyes softened. I continued. "Well, earlier, you um, asked what would make me feel better, and I umm, well I had a plan to, well, it's like a tribute to Layla." The words bubbled awkwardly out of my mouth. Now, saying it out loud, my plans sounded stupid and idiotic. But I forced myself to continue. "Well, I had plans to get her closest friends and make a little shrine in the forest. By the tree she would always climb up and draw in." I explained the details, becoming more and more excited as I saw Annabeth's reactions. Maybe it wasn't stupid. Annabeth definitely didn't think so.

By the time I had finished explaining, All of the tables were abandoned. Our plates lay forgotten next to us. Annabeth had agreed to the plan, except for one tiny detail.

"I think you should get Ryan to help you." She had said.

"What? No, you know I can't do that to him."

"Do what? You like him, I can see it in your eyes."

"Yes. I like him. As a friend. But he wants to be more, and I can't..."

"He was close to Layla, too."

"Yes, but I can't be around him without wanting to be friends again."

"So make up and become friends. Easy Peasy."

"I can't be his friend, he'll want more. I literally JUST said that.'"

"Do you want to be just friends?" I had looked at her quizzically. She gave me a classic Annabeth 'I know exactly what you're thinking' look, then changed the topic. But we both knew she had won. I would have to talk to Ryan.

**Ryan**

I stood over the smoldering flame in the Forge, crafting an elegant sword. It was long, very long, with a curvy blade that looked like the waves of the ocean. It glowed white, hot, bright enough to melt my eyes. Lucky I was decked out in a giant metal mask with matching gloves that would most certainly make the red carpet this year. Over the wail of other projects being toyed with, I heard my name being called.

"Ryan? Where are you?" The faint voice called. I set aside my sword and took off my protective gear.

"Who said that?" Violet emerged nervously from a giant heap of scraps. My frown turned into a smile. "Hey. What do you need?" I was a master at shouting above the noise in the Forge, but Violet clearly wasn't. She tried to speak over it several times, but her mouth would just open and close. No sound could be heard. Finally, she rolled her eyes, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out into the sunny day.

"First I want to say, I'm SO sorry about what happened in the Arena. I shouldn't have pushed you." I apologized.

"Don't worry, it's no big deal."

"Yes it is. I really feel terri-"

"Seriously. Forget it." She interrupted me.

"Okay, fine." I dropped the subject. "What is so important?" She stopped walking and looked at me. Her eyes were grayish blue; she was nervous about something. A few strands of her black wavy hair had escaped from the high bun she had secured with chopsticks, and were now dancing gently through the wind.

"Well, I was talking to Annabeth, and we thought we could do something, like a tribute to Layla." I looked at her with surprise.

"Really? That sounds great!" I cheered. Violet looked at me, a playful smile forming on her lips.

"Well, we thought everyone could do a little something, then you could make a statue for her that we will put in the center. Monique, a Demeter kid who was close to Layla was gonna put down a bunch of really pretty colorful flowers, the boys are going to cover the tree in the pretty glass beads she liked, Annabeth and Rachel are going to draw or write a cute little fact or picture of Layla on every single leaf, and Percy might even talk to the gods about making the tree immortal," Violet rambled on excitedly, I'd never seen her this invested in something since Layla died.

"That's perfect. I love it." I said enthusiastically. Violet blushed. I remembered the one question I had. "What are you going to do?" Her smile widened, and her eyes turned a lively blue green.

"That's phase one." She grinned. "The painting."

**Urrrghhhhh... I hope this chapter was okay, I think I could do better but I want to post to you guys. Don't worry, I have a lot planned for the next chapter.**

**Sorry I posted so late, too. Every time- literally- I tried to sit down and write, either my dad called and made me do chores, or my friends called and asked if I could hang out. I need chores money, and I'm trying to be more social, so I had no choice. :( Oh well, please read and review, REVEIW REVIEW REVIEW**

**Kat:)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hola Y'all!**

**Sorry I took forever to update. No excuses.**

**Okay so I posted a story about Percy, please go read it. It's just a one shot, but you know. READ IT OR I WILL HAVE ZEUS STRIKE YOU DOWN! I can really do it. We're tight, me and Zeus. We're even friends on Facebook. :P Also, I just wanted to clear this up for my own sake of mind. I know in the books, weather doesn't really change in camp unless people want it to, but that tiny little detail shall now be forgotten, Okay?**

**One more thing. I know in the summary it said something about a ****siege. Well, truth be told, my brain took me another direction. I'm still going to have something like that, but it won't happen until much later in the story. Sorry, violence fans.**

**Okay, no one wants to hear my talk anymore. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer(I realized I kept forgetting to do this): I don't own PJO or HOO, just the plot(and some of my made up characters)**

**Violet**

I sat in my hanging bean bag chair, playing with my miniature Peleus dragon and waiting. A steady drum-line of raindrops pounded on my cabin's roof, interrupted only by the roar of thunder. I shot a glance at Isaac's alarm clock. It was ten past one. The storm must've kept all of them.

I looked across the room at my artists easel. After staying up all night painting, I had finally made the perfect tribute to Layla. The picture was perfect. It was an exact replica of her. Everyone would be ecstatic. Isaac and Willis were sitting on the floor, having a heated match of cards. Willis was loosing, but refused to accept it and was declaring Isaac a cheater. Isaac looked like he would soon jump the thin guy's throat. Just half-brotherly love.

Speak of the devil, I heard a thud from the door amidst all the rain. I bounced across, dodging the splintery spots of the wood and yanked open the door. Wind and water swept into my face. I wiped my eyes and saw Rachel, Ryan, Juniper, Grover, Annabeth and Percy, all soaking wet.

After welcoming them in, I dug around until I found six giant fluffy blankets to cover them in. They all smiled gratefully. I looked at the blankets. They were the large quilts that Layla used to sew for my birthday and Christmas. Each was made up of squares that were all different shades of the same color. Rachel's was all shades of blue; Grover's was shades of red varying from salmon to maroon. Sadly, I remembered Layla hadn't had time to finish her last one for me. It was all of the colors combined. The unfinished project was still hidden in the attic somewhere, only to be taken out when Layla would secretly work on my gift. The thought made me lonely.

Everyone shivered up at me, I even had the boys' attention now. I slapped my hands together.

"Okay, guys. So, I need a progress report. Ryan, how's the statue going?" I said authoritatively.

"Good. I just need to smooth out some of the edges." He answered.

"Great. Isaac, Willis?" They both looked up at me and made a comical salute. I rolled my eyes. " Do you have enough glass beads?"

"Sir yes sir!" Willis shouted. I leaned down to where he was still sitting and playfully punched his arm. He played along and made a theatrical pained face. Isaac snickered. I continued.

"Rachel, Annabeth, how's the leaf project going?" I turned to my best friends.

"We have enough things to put on leaves, and that's saying something. Because you know that trees have at least ten leaves, maybe more." Rachel shook her head sarcastically. Tiny droplets of water flung from her short red hair.

"AND, Juniper and Grover agreed to help us out with all of the leaves!" Annabeth interrupted. Juniper smiled kindly, Grover's eyes wandered to the soda can in Isaac's hand. Seeing this, Isaac sighed and tossed it in his direction. The satyr caught it in his mouth and began to shred it.

"Thanks," He said.

"Anyways," Annabeth prodded.

"Right. Percy, did you talk to any gods about making the tree immortal?" I turned to him.

"Well, I don't know where you heard that I have any Gods on speed dial or anything, but I did manage to have a word with Athena. She agreed to, but she said to make it fair we must offer anyone who wants to to make shrines for their friends who died in the titan war." He looked at me as if he was afraid I'd punish him.

"That's a great idea! The whole forest can look like one huge beautiful monument forest; it sounds much better than the boring old rock with names listed on it that we have now!" I cheered."We can announce it at dinner. Anyone can join up with others to decorate a tree for a friend or cabin mate."

"Perfect," Ryan encouraged. "Now there's just one more thing. You're painting."

"Right." I smiled. They'd love it. I ran over to the easel, almost bouncing. I plucked up the canvas from behind the stack of other finished paintings that I'd hidden it behind. I flipped it over towards my friends.

"Tada! What do you think?" I watched as their faces fell, confused. "What, what happened?"

"Well, it is a little dark," Juniper suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

"What? No it isn't! It looks like Layla might just jump off the page!" Annabeth's eyebrows raised.

"Take another look at your picture."She said. I did. At that moment, I realized what all my friends were talking about. Layla looked as if she were plucked straight out of a funeral. Her eyes were a dark gray that contrasted dramatically with the pale glow of her skin. Most of her hair was tucked back behind a dark veil. Her dress was the darkest shade of purple, but still not black. In her hands she was holding a letter and a knife. The flower that was almost always pinned to her hair had fallen off to the ground, and sat there wilting.

I gaped at it in horror.

"How..." I stammered.

"Maybe since while you paint your subconscious takes over, this is how your subconscious feels about Layla's departure." Annabeth suggested.

"Thanks for the scary psychiatrist talk, Annie," Rachel joked. " Just paint another one."

"But It'll just end up looking like this again!" I wailed. Juniper came over and put her hand on my shoulder consolingly. She was always so nice.

"Maybe not." Ryan interjected. " If you focus on one of your happiest moments with Layla, not her death-" I cringed a little at that word. "- then maybe the painting will be cheerful!" I looked at all the expectant faces.

"Okay, I'll give it a try." I walked over to my easel.

"We'll give you some time to work on it." Percy said. He smiled and led the group out into the drizzly, murky day. Willis and Isaac decided to go outside instead of finish the card game, which Willis had insisted he won. The cabin was empty. Everyone was gone. Everyone except Ryan. He sat patiently on the bed, watching me expectantly.

"I might take a while," I warned him.

"I'll be right here." He calmly started picking up the rainbow quilts my other friends had dropped behind them and folding them neatly. I rolled my eyes, but started painting with a smile.

I racked my brain for the best memory of Layla. I had a lot of amazing ones, but they were all clouded by my memories of her death.

I thought harder. There was the time when we went back to her hometown, New Jersey, and Layla and me saw a group of dolphins. They were cheerful, and splashed around happily. It didn't seem right. I could draw the time I got stuck up in a tree and Layla was rolling on the dirty ground laughing so much tears were pouring out of her eyes. Nope, not it. Finally, It came to me. The day we met. The day I came to camp Half Blood. The warm smile that welcomed me like it was my home. Even though she was younger than me, you could see the experience in her eyes. There was pain, but it was clouded by hope. The look that I came to remember and love. That was my Layla.

I began painting in a frenzy, only pausing every once and a while to check if Ryan was still sitting on the bed. He always was. I tried not to let it psych me out. Slowly, I let my inner painter take over, and drifted into an almost comatose state. My brush swirled around the canvas, leaving a trail of joy and purity through it. I let myself pour every fiber in my being into the one simple painting. I smiled at times, cried at times, groaned at times. But It was worth it. Three hours later, I stood back and looked at my masterpiece.

It was Layla, in every sense. I drew her in her favorite spot, the spot where I met her, the lake. Her hands were stained red from berry picking, but the girl in the portrait didn't care. She smiled and made two corny peace signs. Her golden hair was held back with two chopsticks, her eyes were a warm brown that reminded me of an apple orchard with little flecks of blue. She wore a flowing white tank top with short jean shorts and cowboy boots. A signature Layla style. She seemed to radiate beauty, peace, and joy. My eyes lit up and welled with tears when I saw what I had created.

Ryan came to stand by me.

"Its..." He was lost for words, but I knew what he was going to say.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own PJO, HOO, or Kool-Aid. ;) You'll understand later.**

**Ryan**

_The warriors of Camp Half Blood had bravely fought, but fighting time was over. Everyone waited for Percy and the others to come outside, but they would be a while. The small tarps that had been set up to protect us from the rain were full of people underneath them. Still, everyone was silent. I listened to the drum of raindrops, and watched them pool down the edges. My mind mentally calculated a machine that could distribute rain water to cabins and purify it so it could be consumed._

_An agonizing, ear splitting wail pierced through my thoughts. __I didn't think, just ran towards the voice. I saw Violet, curled up in the distance. She was only about one hundred or so meters away. I ran faster and faster. Every few steps, I noticed something new about her._

_She was cradling someone in her lap._

_Her sword was tinted red and laying forgotten next to her._

_She was covered in blood._

_Her stone black eyes were pouring out tears._

_The person in her arms was Layla._

_Layla was dead._

The dream shifted.

_I was in a cave that looked like an extension of Rachel's living quarters. Almost everyone in camp was there with me. We were all huddled down so we wouldn't smack our heads on the low ceiling. There was a huge rumble; smoke and dust shook down from the cave and gave us all a light dusting. Violet was huddled next to me, eyeing a gleaming sword peaking out from an Ares boy_'s_ scabbard. The next rumble seemed to shake her awake._

_I followed her gaze to Percy and Annabeth, who __were across the cave holding hands. Annabeth looked at Percy, who nodded at Violet._

_She tuned to me and kissed me, hard and urgent. Then she turned away._

_In one swift movement, she jumped the Ares boy, snatched his sword, swiped a shield from another camper, and followed Percy and Annabeth through the tunnel._

_An Aphrodite girl shrieked, "Stop! Chiron and Mr. D said not to go!" but no one made any move to follow them._

_The biggest blast sent large pebbles down on people's heads._

LINEBREAK_LADEDEDEDA

I shook myself awake, forcing the dream out of my memory. I promised not to think of that day. The day that only held destruction and sorrow.

The night before had gone pretty well. Basically every single camper was participating in at least one tree shrine. I had been asked to make statues for a handful of them, so it was time to get to work. I didn't even bother eating breakfast, just put on fresh clothes and made my way down to the forge. It was past noon when I was done, but my hard work had paid off. All of the statues were perfect, carved out of celestial bronze. Normally, an Apollo student would make them, but I had been asked to because they knew I would add some extra details. Thanks to my extensive range in supplies- and a little help from a Hecate demigod- I was able to personalize each and every one. Silena's would comment on peoples fashion as they walked past- of course, in the most respectful way- Beckendorf's buzzed and crackled as if it was on fire, and you could hear jolly laughter coming from Castor (Dionysus) as if he were at a party and had drank a little too much Kool-Aid.

All in all, I was proud of my work. But I couldn't shake the dream from my head. I used to have the first part of the dream daily, but the second part? That was new. Was it some kind of warning? I was a demigod, after all. No dreams were just dreams.

A light tap on my shoulder caused my to jump out of my boots. I turned around.

It was Violet. She was decked out in a Greek themed, lilac colored dress. Layla's favorite color. Small cherry blossoms had been woven into the braids that formed a crown on her head. It was no doubt the work of Juniper, with fashion counsel from Rachel and Annabeth. She looked like a billion Drachmas. And then there was me, the weirdo in soot stained clothes, probably with grease all over and singed hair. The lady and the tramp, anyone?

"I thought we'd do the ceremony as soon as you were ready." Violet said. Her eyes were an eggplant color to match the dress, but I could still see sorrow behind them.

"Right, yeah. I just need to, um..."

"Clean up a little bit? Yeah, I know." She smirked and made for the door. "Come to the Iris Cabin when you're ready." And I was alone.

Luckily, there was a shower in the forges. It was new. Now that people had taken it upon themselves to work with radioactive materials, a shower was kind of a necessity. I jumped in and scrubbed my body as fast as I could, then ran back to the cabin to grab a change of clothes. That stumped me for a little bit. What do you wear to things like this? After a lot of trying stuff on and taking it off again(wow I sound like a girl) I finally settled on nice black jeans and a white dress shirt. Nice, but if I fall in the mud, it won't be that big of a deal.

I was the last person to make it to the Iris cabin. Everyone was dressed up nice. All the guys were in clothes like mine, except for grover, who obviously didn't wear pants in camp, and was wearing his nicest vest. Annabeth had nice leggings and a purple blouse, her curly blonde hair in an elegant braid. She obviously wouldn't be roped into wearing a dress. Rachel on the other hand, was wearing what looked like a darker, more neon color dress like Violets, but it was wrapped elaborately around her neck and cut right above her knees. Juniper was wearing her usual leafy dress, but had accessorized it with a belt made of small purple flowers. The same flowers decorated her long, green hair. Everyone had clearly dressed to impress, and purple was obviously the theme.

"Okay, we're here, lets go before it starts to rain." Rachel prodded.

"It won't rain today," Juniper commented dreamily.

"Still, I want to get going," Rachel was looking a little irritated. Who woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

So, just as quickly as I entered the cabin, I left. Violet led the way, flanked by me and Rachel. Isaac and Willis walked right behind us. Percy and Annabeth were walking next to each other, holding hands. Juniper and Grover were exactly the same way. Surrounded by all their love, I couldn't help myself. I leaned into Violets ear and whispered,

"You look beautiful in that smile," She wasn't smiling, until I told her that. But soon, the smile vanished, like it never even happened.

Everything we needed for the ceremony was waiting for us at the base of the tree. It looked magical. Isaac and Willis had decorated every inch of bark with glimmering glass beads, so the tree reflected the afternoon sun. All the leaves were gold with purple drawings or writings on them. I took a look at a few. A few had very sweet statements about Layla, while others had little drawings. I chuckled at the one that depicted Layla flinging her peas at Violet. The leaf next to it had Violet throwing corn, but missing and hitting Travis and Connor Stoll. The last leaf showed the all out food fight from every cabin that ensued. They had latrine duty for two months, but everyone knew it was worth it. Violet stood in front of us.

"Okay, well, here goes." She smiled. "Layla was my best friend, a confidant, a sister. She taught me how to knit, and was the only person to show me how to climb the rock wall without getting murdered." everyone chuckled at that. "Every saturday, we'd go to the lake to pick berries, even in winter. Even though she's gone, I know she's in Elysium, waiting for us all to join her. And even though I can't wait to see her again, I know that I can't just skip to that part in the story." She seemed to be talking to herself at this point, but everyone was still shedding tears, even the guys. "I have to live my life, and I have to do all the experiences that she wanted to do, along with the ones I want to do. Because the first thing she'll ask me when I see her again is to tell me stories, tell me everything thats happened since we last met. I can't wait to spend a century telling her about all of us, but I need some great stories to tell before I do." Tears were pooling out of her eyes now. As she stopped to wipe them, Willis sniffed and began his speech.

Slowly, everyone else said their kind words. Rachel made everyone laugh, Juniper made everyone cry-in a good way- Grover was too sad to speak human for most of the time, so we had to guess what his bleats meant. Finally, it was my turn.

"I don't think there's anything else to say but we love you, Layla." I smiled and took the statue out of my bag. "Violet," She nodded her comprehension and grabbed the portrait that was leaning on the stump. Slowly, I took my pocket knife and carved a large hole into the tree. Everyone took turns carving a little bit at a time. Finally, we had a large hollow, about the size of a rabbit. There was even a little door to cover it up.

Violet put her picture in the tree, along with my statue and the letters we had all written to Layla. Before closing the hollow, I turned on the statues power. Everyone gasped as it turned a luminous shade of yellow. It looked as if it were water swirling around in the shape of Layla.

"It changes color according to the people around the tree's mood." I explained.

"Like her eyes," Annabeth whispered. I glanced at Violet. More tears were streaming out of her honey-gold colored eyes. Her smile was a beam of light in the fading sun. We'd been here a while. Percy grabbed an old rusty watering can I hadn't even noticed and watered the base of the tree.

"It's been blessed by the gods." He said. "This will make the tree immortal, and it never empties, so everyone else can use it too." We all smiled and gave words of approval.

One by one, people drifted off towards the dining pavilion, until it was just me and Violet. I looked her in the eye, trying to understand her feelings. She stared back at me. After what seemed like hours, she flung herself into my arms, knocking me down in the process. Her tears shook my body; each sob made me feel an ache in my heart. I cradled her in my arms, not whispering false promises, but just holding her.

We stayed like that all night.

**AN: so, sorry I haven't been posting. No excuse, really. SHUN THE AUTHOR! Just kidding. I'm really excited for the next few chapters, though, so those should be coming soon. Please review, my little bitty heart gets very lonely with so few reviews.**

**Love, **

**Kat**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hola:) **

**Okay I posted earlier today, but I just saw the New Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters movie and I'm so mad at all the stuff they got wrong, I need to blow off some steam. If anyone else saw it, wouldn't you agree they sucked it up again!? They could've fixed it, but they made it a billion times worse. I'd need another pair of hands to count how many times Annabeth was the Damsel in Distress. No! She's supposed to be a badass! Pardon my french, I'm just ticked.**

**Okay, no one likes listening to my rants, and they tell me that(hi dad) so here you go.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own PJO, HOO, or anything really. I did have a hamster once.**

**Violet**

I woke to the sound of birds chirping their early morning wake up call, and sticks poking my arm.

Ryan had gone to breakfast, or so said the note he had left for me. Apparently, he had leaned me up on a tree so I didn't get dirty. I just fell onto the ground myself.

I brushed the dirt off myself. My dress was wrinkly, and my hair was a little tangled with twigs in it, but the dirt came off the fabric and the twigs untangled relatively easily. I didn't have to make the trip back to the cabin to change. But it looks like I had slept through breakfast, because people were buzzing all around me.

Everyone was busy working on tree shrines for someone. Looking around, I saw someone painting a tree leaves ruby red, while another tree was being set up in what looked like Iron Man's tree suit collection. Yet another person from the Demeter cabin was coaxing a patch of flowers to spiral around the tree trunk. Despite all the differences, there were a few key similarities. All of them had a hollow in it for storing letters, personal items, and apparently a statue that Ryan had made for every single person.

My heart ached for Ryan to be near me again. But I couldn't. I had hurt him enough last night. I had allowed to get too close to him, and now I would have to separate all over again. The thought of not speaking to him broke my heart, but I had to.

Speak of the freaking devil.

I caught a glimpse of his short blonde hair. He seemed to be showing the Apollo cabin how one of their statues worked. They all clustered around him like curious little toddlers at the aquarium for the first time. I could see he was tired to the point where he might fall asleep any second. His eyes drooped lower and lower by the minute.

I couldn't let him see me. Annabeth, I needed to talk to Annabeth.

She was just leaving the arena when I ran straight into her.

"Annie!" I hugged her. Surprised, she hugged back.

"Vi, how are you?" Her eyes pierced my mind.

"What do I do about Ryan?" I wailed. "I want to be friends, but I can't lead him on!" Annabeth looked at me as if she was disappointed.

"Do you want to be friends?" She asked. I looked at her with confusion.

"Of course I do! He's... like my brother! I love him!"

"Like a brother?" She clarified. For some reason, the answer wouldn't leave my mouth, so Annabeth had to make due with a small nod.

"Vi, think about it. I think you know what I'm talking about, but am too afraid to tell yourself."

I looked down. The tears threatened to escape again.

"She loved him."

"She loved you more."

"I can't."

" You can do whatever you want." I didn't want to have this conversation. I fled, leaving Annabeth standing in my dust.

My feet slipped and slid down the pebbly hill that lead to the cabins. I raced through as fast as I could in the torture of a dress. The lake stopped me. I turned to look at my reflection in the water.

My hair was starting to return to it's original color, and my normally pale face was tanner with little red marks. I almost looked like I used to. Layla would be happy. Wouldn't she? I ran home. There was something I needed to do first.

**Ryan**

Once I had shown everyone how each of the individual statues worked, I said an exhausted goodbye and made my way to bed. I was so exhausted, I couldn't think straight. Thats what happens when your up all night comforting the one you love. Even though she doesn't love you. Okay, it was nap time.

My sleepy mind couldn't exactly control my legs correctly, and I rammed into a girl standing near a fountain filled with dark black colored water. She whirled around to look at me. I almost fell over. It was Violet.

The first reason I hadn't noticed her was because she had changed out of her dress into pants, combat boots and a midnight blue sweater. But the big reason was because she looked like a new person. Her eyes were the color of chocolate chip cookies, with little green flecks inside them. Her skin was tanner, as if she'd spent two hours in the sun- or had a dose of happiness. But her hair was the big thing. It was not the pitch black I'd come to recognize, but the rusty auburn that she had naturally. It wasn't straightened, but was loose and wavy, down to her hips. Every single tendril seemed to catch the sunlight. She looked radiant, like she had before Layla. A towel was in her lap, right now the black fountain made sense.

"What, what made you want to go back?" I asked in awe."

"Closure," She said peacefully. I wrapped her body in a hug, and she finally accepted. Maybe now she would agree; I took a chance.

"Do you think you'd be okay with, with coming to, coming to training again?" Her warm smile faded, her eyes calculating. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a great rumble shook the ground, sending both of us tumbling to our knees.

And thats when all Hades broke out.

**Dun dun dun... CLIFFHANGER! At least they got that part of the PJO movie right! **

**Okay, so I'm thinking about ending this soon. I love OC stories, and I have some ideas about that. I'm also going to write a Silena/Beckendorf one shot, as well as a Grover/Juniper one. Please review, If you need any help the box is right down there ^. No, not up, down! Stupid arrows **

** LOVE KAT **


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